


Rewind

by Mashipotz



Category: TREASURE (Korea Band), YG Entertainment | YG Family, YG Treasure Box (TV)
Genre: Divorce, Drabble, Falling In Love, HaJeongwoo, M/M, Marriage, Mature Hajeongwoo, Slice of Life, Young Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-31 07:57:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20111749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mashipotz/pseuds/Mashipotz
Summary: When relationships are defined by a certain number of years, and you’d knew ahead that it’ll end, would you have done things differently?





	Rewind

**I. Encounter**

The gentle caresses belied the passionate and sloppy kisses that were given back and forth. Urgent hands roamed each other’s faces and body, taking their time to memorize each feature and imprint it on their mind, as conflicting emotions rushed in and senses were all hazy due to a mixture of alcohol and cigarettes that were consumed.

Sheets were strewn haphazardly as their limbs get tangled with each other’s, amidst the sighs and few interjections of surprise and hesitation that were uttered in between.

Both of them never knew that their beginning would come from a simple glance, a longing look, a conversation that went on for three long hours – which in reality was long overdue for years, having known each other at work – that resulted in the two of them ending up at Haruto’s flat.

As the morning started to pour and soft light from the sun’s rays slowly bathed the room, Haruto’s immediate thoughts were a convoluted mess. Despite the throbbing headache that overtook him, the previous night’s memories came rushing back at him, his senses suddenly alerted despite having been just awakened.

His hand immediately shot to his side, expecting an empty space beside him. What he didn’t expect is that he would feel another person still in his arms, lying comfortably and eyes half wide-awake looking back at him.

It was the start of something different, Haruto and Jeongwoo knew.

_ **They were 20.** _

**II. The highs**

It was a whirlwind romance that blossomed into a year. Their relationship can be defined in a ball of emotions all rolled into one: Intense, passionate, needy, romantic – the kind of relationship that you can never get enough of and won’t get tired of.

Jeongwoo fell deeper with each act of sweetness that were shown: the gentle kisses that they secretly shared under the secrecy of darkness, the hands that enveloped him during times of self-doubt, the comforting words that healed him at times he needed them the most.

His otherwise quiet and plain life that he carefully planned ahead of him were immediately thrown out of the loop by a series of surprises. Haruto was a force that disrupted Jeongwoo’s routine.

So it came as a surprise when Haruto proposed to him quietly on their anniversary. But they decided to surprise more people when they got married just a few months after.

_ **They were 21.** _

**III. The lows**

They were young and reckless, and hopelessly in love. A recipe for disaster.

Haruto’s work as an engineer required him to be away most of the time and Jeongwoo’s work as an architect demanded most of his attention. They were two young adults finding their own place in this world; navigating the path while learning how to stay married at the same time.

It didn’t help that Haruto resigned and transferred to a new company – bigger career opportunities, he reasoned out – which resulted to them not seeing each other even more.

It wasn’t only the demands of work that pushed them to be apart from each other. But it was also the emotional changes and the internal turmoil that has been brewing inside, which they tried so hard to ignore. Warning signs have been flashing all over the place yet they chose to remain blind to it.

_“Can’t you just understand me and give me the space I freaking need.” Haruto gritted his teeth while trying to keep his emotions in check; and it didn’t help that his head is achingly pounding, tired from all the work he’s been doing for the past few months. He just wanted Jeongwoo to understand that, no - he actually expected him to understand that, and him nagging for his attention is not possible right now._

_“I have given you time and space, even more than what you need Haruto.”_

_“It was not enough!”_

_Jeongwoo cleared his throat, feeling the onset of tears and disappointment coming. For the past few months, this already became their new routine. “So now this,” he said while his arms flailed, pointing between the two of them, “is not enough anymore?”_

_ **They were 23.** _

**IV. Reality**

It was a miscalculation, a misstep – a costly mistake on their end.

They both woke up one day, realizing that the love dwindled down and the passion already extinguished.

There wasn’t so much of a drama when it happened. One thing that Haruto has always been thankful for when it comes to Jeongwoo is that he was level headed and logical and reasonable.

After the passion, came the realization that love will never be enough; commitments have to be fulfilled, promises needs to be delivered, relationships need time and extra attention to nourish and grow.

Being a couple is one thing, but getting married is a different level altogether.

They were young to realize that Marriage is not some child’s play – it is not their world to live in.

They were figuring out how to grow up and in the process they realize that they need to grow apart to fully realize what they need in their life.

  
“_And suddenly, your dreams became much more bigger than the love you promised for me.” It was not a question but a statement that Jeongwoo uttered._

_“I’m sorry,” Haruto replied, “I tried. I did try my best to make it work.”_

_“Have you? I mean, did we? Did we ever really try?”_

_“Maybe a part of us knows that we are never really ready for this. We got together fast and married even faster.” Haruto took a deep sigh, his lips forming a thin line. “You could say that all logic went out of the window on that one.”_

_“It’s because we never even know what we want for ourselves at 21. How can we even fathom wanting to get married at that age.”_

_“Love can make us crazy.” Haruto looked at him in all seriousness. “At one point, YOU made me crazy.”_

_Jeongwoo scoffed, staring back at the man that used to mean the whole world to him. “You see then, love is not all what they say and made it up to be.”_

_ **They were 23.** _

**V. Acceptance**

_When relationships are defined by a certain number of years, and you’d knew ahead that it’ll end, would you have done things differently?_

Haruto watched with disinterest, as people laungidly walk by, from a cozy corner of the restaurant’s al fresco area. Taking in the sight before him, he took a long drag out of his cigarette before blowing a puff of smoke.

He really should quit this habit.

He suddenly remembered Jeongwoo constantly encouraging him to quit, but he was too busy and lazy to actually even attempt to start giving up smoking.

Contemplating the past four years of their life together, it was a display of the best and the worst that each of them had to offer.

Honestly - Haruto suddenly thought with amusement - If he could turn everything they’ve been through into an mp4, he would and he will always play it on repeat. Despite the flaws, there was still a replay value in their relationship. They really were indeed in love with each other.

They are now physically separated, with Jeongwoo moving out of Haruto’s flat 6 months ago already. He’d be hypocrite to say that it wasn’t hard at first; He was so used to seeing Jeongwoo around that he never imagined how it would be when he finally left.

The sound of his phone ringing brought him back from his reverie. Haruto put out the light of his smoke and placed the extinguished cigarette on the ashtray.

Seeing the familiar name on the phone, a broken smile graced on his face.

“The divorce lawyer called me earlier to confirm,” Jeongwoo’s voice immediately said on the other line, no pleasantries or greetings exchanged, his voice all business-like. “It’s already done.”

“I was supposed to call you, too. But I got busy.”

A sigh was heard on the other line and Haruto immediately knew that Jeongwoo did not believe him.

“So I guess, this is the part where I say thank you for everything.” Jeongwoo said awkwardly, unsure of how to end the call. Haruto as usual, was a man of few words, and it was hard to determine for Jeongwoo how he really felt just by listening to the tone of his voice.

“I guess so. Likewise, from me to you.”

Haruto took off his wedding ring, and pocketed it safely in his jeans. _It’s time to move on._

“Haruto?”

“Hmmm?”

“Are you finally happy now?”

Biting his lips, Haruto hesitated, seriously thinking of the right words to say. “I- I don’t know, ‘Woo. Maybe I feel numb. I feel nothing. Maybe somewhere inside I feel like dying….but we both agreed to this. We both agreed.”

“I know.”Jeongwoo closed his eyes as memories suddenly invaded his mind. “I think I really should go.”

“I understand.”

“But, Haruto?” _Just one last message._

“Yes?”

“I loved you.” _Past tense_. “But goodbye.”

What Haruto didn’t know was that for Jeongwoo, he agreed to the divorce because he made his own decision to save that little happiness Haruto had left. Jeongwoo decided to walk away and broke his own heart.

_ **They were 24.** _

**Author's Note:**

> This was a short fic made due to @aawl_ prompt at twitter: 
> 
> "𝙸𝚏 𝙸 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚎’𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚗 𝚖𝚙𝟺, 𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚢 𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚗 𝚛𝚎𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚝."


End file.
